


We've Been Fighting with the Wolves

by Temple



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Hogwarts, M/M, Marauders, Marauders' Era, Puppy Love, Romance, Short, Shrieking Shack, Werewolf, mate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 02:53:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8311099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Temple/pseuds/Temple
Summary: The hardest part, Severus Snape levelled as he stared for the first time into the feral eyes of a Werewolf; was that it was rutting its head over his palm in a plea for affection instead of trying to rip out his throat.





	1. Chapter 1

The hardest part, Severus Snape levelled as he stared for the first time into the feral eyes of a Werewolf; was that it was rutting its head over his palm in a plea for affection instead of trying to rip out his throat. The great brutish monster that had flashed its teeth and growled out a warning when Snape had stepped up into the Shrieking Shack had gone from blood thirsty to attention starved in the bat of an eye.

Snape was almost ashamed of the way he had initially shrieked and threw his hands up over his face in a feeble attempt to shield himself from the monster.  His eyes closed and his body stiff in anticipation of those killer teeth sinking into his flesh; instead what had greeted him had been a rough and wet tongue across the top of his head followed by the most pitiful whine Severus had ever heard. Had he not been forced to open his eyes and stare into the feral eyes of his enemy then he never would have believed _this_ to be the actions of a Werewolf.

Black was going to be so disappointed, Snape smirked. Picturing the scrawny boys face when Snape emerged from the shack with only a wet line across his fore-head and a pliant Wolf under his palms. The smile that thought brought to his face must have been mistaken as consent for the Werewolf who then proceeded to thump its tail against the floor in excitements and force Severus onto his back.

With the burly creature laying over him, and those deadly jaws and cold nose between the joint of his shoulder and neck Snape had stopped breathing for a second. Because if this was what death felt like then he was more than willing to take the reapers out-stretched hands. Even like this the image it conjured in Severus’ head of the Wolves more sociable form was enough to heat his cheeks. Even with all those extra muscles and fur Severus was still looking up into the honey kissed eyes of one Remus Lupin—a slightly more affectionate Lupin for sure but there was no mistaking those eyes this close.

Severus could hardly breath; there was after all a hulking great Were-beast laying over his chest—but it was the touch starved way in which Remus pawed at him and licked at his cheek, the way he mewled happily when Severus laid his hand on the wolves’ head and whined low in his throat when Severus froze.

He never imagined that Remus would greet him in such a manor—even more so during his transformation when his raw instincts came into play and there was little room for kind little Remus Lupin in that snarling mass of blood-thirsty thoughts.

As the wolf settled with him on the floor, Severus laying awkwardly with his back propped up against the wall and Remus’ large head in his lap, he mused heatedly over his run in with the Gryffindor a few weeks prior.  Remembering the way Remus had shifted awkwardly and deliberately dropped his book onto Snape’s lap as he passed—cheeks flushed and his eyes not quite with Severus’. It had been a book on Werewolf behaviour, thinking back Snape flushed when he pictured the chapter title and swallowed the lump in his throat.

_A Werewolf and its mate._

He hadn’t read it, just snarled at the lurking prefect and pointedly snapped the book shut.  Had Snape known that it was possibly Lupin’s way of dropping a hint he may have paid more attention. He made a note to check the book out of the library as soon as the morning arrived.

Well—maybe not as soon as the morning arrived. He teased himself, stroking at the werewolf’s ear when it whined again. He would have to at least let poor Lupin know that he had gotten the message loud and clear this time around, first.


	2. With the Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It isn’t my fault; it’s instinct, I didn’t choose you. It just happened.”  
> “Oh.” Snape mouthed, his eyes suddenly dark.

_Even in their most basic form of transformation a Werewolf will crave the affection and approval of its mate. Unable to harm them even when transformed, the bond formed between the Wolf and its mate is speculated to last a life-time. Werewolves identify their mates through scent and are often found when in human form rather than during a monthly transformation; although there have been known cases in which Werewolves have found their mates during the hunt. Speculation that Werewolves will only mate with other Were-creatures was disproved when Gretchen Wilder became the first public human mate of her Werewolf partner Fredrick Price…_

Severus paused in his reading to look up into the tired face of Remus Lupin, the Gryffindor was dressed in his usual shabby jumper and seen-better days’ jeans—his hair was a mess and his eyes red-rimmed and puffy. Snape could see from the way that he slunk awkwardly into the chair opposite him that he was sore and that coming here had probably taken more effort than Snape was worth.

“I’m sorry for what Sirius did,” Remus began, swallowing thickly when his eyes drifted down to the title of Severus’ book. “He—uh, he thought that it would be funny, which it wasn’t. He said that he was concerned with your sudden interest in Lycanthropes and hoped that by seeing me like that, it would scare you off.”

“He was hoping that you’d eat me.” Severus sneered, turning his nose up when Remus flushed.

“I’m sorry.”

“So you’ve said,” Snape sighed, dog-earing the page before setting it down on the table. His eyes fixed on the mop of sandy hair when Remus continued to look down at the table. “You didn’t tell him that I was your mate.”

There was little point in being coy about the whole situation, Severus mused when Remus’ head shot up, his eyes wide and cheeks a shade of red that could put any Gryffindor to shame.

“I – uh. Well umm—I just—“

“Spit it out Lupin, I don’t have all day to listen to your pathetic drivel.” Snape hissed, his lips turning upwards in a smirk when the bashful werewolf swallowed and shook his head. Snape’s face must have changed suddenly because Remus was suddenly wide-eyed again and frantically trying to put his gaze anywhere but on Severus.

“It isn’t my fault; it’s instinct, I didn’t choose you. It just happened.”

“Oh.” Snape mouthed, his eyes suddenly dark.

Remus groaned low in his throat, squeezing his eyes shut and chewing at his lip. “I didn’t mean it like that, I just—I don’t know how to explain it and I wish that I could. I don’t know everything—or anything really about what I am but I read the book, and it all just fell into place.”

Severus didn’t say anything, just sat watching as Lupin tugged frustrated at his sleeves and chewed mercilessly at the inside of his bottom lip.

“Werewolves mate for life, even if you don’t want the bond I’m still going to always want you—and I don’t just mean that because of what I am. I like you Severus; you’re smart and funny and you don’t let what other people think bother you and that’s why Sirius hates you. Because you have this control over me and you don’t even realise it. I have this need to protect you and when I’m human I can push it down and ignore it to a point but as the moon phases I can’t do that anymore. I have fought with Sirius and James for months now over you, they don’t get it and I don’t think that you do either. They don’t know that you’re my mate and even if they did I don’t think they would really understand what that means to me—to us.”

Severus remained silent, nodding his head somewhat and attempting to scowl the blush from his own cheeks as Lupin continued to whittle on. He could tell from the Gryffindor’s fidgety behaviour and rosy cheeks that this was all new to the both of them, though he may have thought it Severus doubted that Remus had ever said this aloud.

“Why did you run off this morning then?” Snape asked, hating how small he sounded.

“Because I didn’t know what to do, what would you have done in my position?”

“I wouldn’t let myself be in your position.” Snape sneered distastefully.  

“I suppose not,” Remus shrugged, breathing heavily when Snape continued to look expectantly at him. “I was scared; we don’t have the best history. I’ve never really participated with Sirius and James but I haven’t always put a stop to it either—you’ve made it clear on more than one occasion that you dislike me so I didn’t know what to expect.”

“I hate Potter and his little gang of misfits. That includes you Lupin.”

“See! So what was I supposed to do? You had suspicions but you didn’t know what I was really. Now you do and now you know about the whole _mate_ thing and I wouldn’t blame you for hating me all the more—because I would! I mean I am the Werewolf and I hate it so why would—“

He was cut off when Snape rolled his eyes and pulled the rambling teenager across the table by the threads of his jumper and kissed him.

“I do hate you, but Merlin help me I like you a lot more.” Snape levelled, releasing Remus’ jumper for him to sag speechlessly back into his chair.

Remus’ cheeks flushed happily and he turned in his seat and fiddled with his sleeve in a way that was irritatingly loveable. Snape could already see those dopey eyes following him around the castle and that warm smile from across the Great Hall in the mornings; could imagine them sat together in the library trading soft conversations over potions essays and transfiguration notes.

It was sickening but in a way that made Snape’s mind long for the affection.

“Stupid wolf,” Severus snarled his cheeks pink as he pulled the book back open to hide from Remus’ stupidly adorable grin. What on earth was he getting himself into now.


End file.
